American League Roundup : Yankees Turn On Power to Beat the Rangers, 8-4

Mike Pagliarulo and Rickey Henderson homered in a four-run first inning Monday night as the New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers, 8-4, in New York.

Rookie right-hander Doug Drabek yielded eight hits over 6 innings, working in and out of trouble, to even his record at 2-2. Dave Righetti relieved Drabek with two out and a runner aboard in the seventh, and earned his 22nd save.

“Drabek gave us a gutsy performance,” New York Manager Lou Piniella said. “He gave us 6 innings, and we needed it. We’re short-handed in the bullpen, to say the least. Then Dave Righetti came in and did his usual job.”

Henderson led off the first with a homer, his 15th, and Pagliarulo later hit a three-run shot, his 23rd.

Cleveland 5, Chicago 2--Mel Hall drove in two runs with an RBI single and his 17th home run and Rich Yett pitched 4 innings of two-hit relief as the Indians won in Cleveland.

Hall tied his career high for homers, set in 1983 while he was with the Chicago Cubs.

“I wanted to do well for Pat Corrales,” Hall said in referring to the Cleveland manager, who was fined and suspended for four days because of his role in a bench-clearing brawl at Oakland on July 1. “Pat’s helped me a lot as a player, and I’m glad I was able to demonstrate that.”

Yett (4-0) allowed two singles while striking out four and walking none after relieving starter Bryan Oelkers with one out in the fifth.

Minnesota 1, Detroit 0--Frank Viola and Keith Atherton combined on a four-hitter, and Kirby Puckett scored from first on a sixth-inning single to right by Kent Hrbek as the Twins snapped the Tigers’ five-game winning streak in Detroit.

Puckett walked to lead off the sixth against loser Mark Thurmond, making his first American League start, and one out later, Hrbek bounced a single over first.

Detroit right fielder Kirk Gibson made a soft relay to shortstop Alan Trammell near second, and Puckett never stopped going around third. Trammell’s throw to catcher Dwight Lowry got there ahead of the sliding Puckett, but he slid under the tag for the game’s only run.

Kansas City 6, Baltimore 1--Steve Balboni doubled home the tie-breaking run in a three-run eighth inning and blasted a two-run homer in the ninth at Baltimore as the Royals broke a 10-game road losing streak.

Danny Jackson (6-6) and Steve Farr combined on a six-hitter, aided by three double plays. Farr pitched the final two innings for his fifth save after Jackson scattered four hits over seven innings, struck out four and walked four.

Oakland 5, Boston 2--Left-hander Curt Young fired a three-hitter over 8 innings and retired 14 batters in a row in one stretch, while Dave Kingman and Tony Phillips homered as the A’s beat the slumping Red Sox at Oakland.

Boston, which lost for the fifth time in the last six games, had its American League East lead over the Yankees reduced to five games.

Toronto 8, Seattle 3--George Bell and Jesse Barfield hit two home runs each to lead a 16-hit attack as the Blue Jays cruised at Seattle.

The Toronto outfielders opened the fourth inning with back-to-back home runs off Mark Huismann (2-3).

Barfield lead off the seventh with his 23rd homer to tie Jose Canseco and Pagliarulo for the American League lead. Bell, who also homered in the first inning, and is right behind his teammate with 22 homers, has 10 hits in his last 18 at-bats with five homers and nine RBIs.